Abstract: Configuration data, such as options a file system accessed by a host system, may be stored on the storage device storing the file system. File system configuration data may be stored in a file of the file system or in a private storage area configured for storing file system configuration data. A host may access the file system configuration data and subsequently may access the file system according to the file system configuration data. Additionally, different versions of file system configuration data may be stored and different hosts accessing the file system may read and use different versions of the file system configuration data based upon the type or context of the host accessing the file system. Storing file system configuration data with the file system data, or on the same storage device, may allow context dependent options to be provided to various hosts accessing the file system data.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-accessible medium for storage management are disclosed. A failure condition is detected in a storage stack comprising a first host and a storage device. Data from the storage device is exported to a plurality of additional hosts. The data is validated using the plurality of additional hosts.

Abstract: A file system may employ an enhanced or performance-adjusted allocation scheme when storing data to multiple storage devices. A file system may monitor one or more performance characteristics of storage devices. The file system may, in response to storage requests, select one or more of the storage devices for storing data associated storage requests based on differences among the respective monitored performance characteristics for the storage devices. Additionally, the file system may determine an allocation pattern for storing data to the storage devices and may modify the determined allocation pattern based on a detected change in the monitored performance characteristics of the storage devices. Further, the file system may store data based on both the allocation pattern and on data characteristics associated with a data storage request. The file system may also incorporate input specifying either new performance characteristics or a new allocation pattern.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus and software can provide the capability of grouping related files together so as to optimize placement of the files on the physical media. Consequently, certain system operations (e.g., backup, defragmentation and the like) can be performed on the group of files, as opposed to a single file or the entire filesystem.